


Downpayment on Forever

by HiddenTreasures



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 01:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12948120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenTreasures/pseuds/HiddenTreasures
Summary: James and Rose spend one last night together before he is due to leave for a year-long research trip abroad.





	Downpayment on Forever

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for doctorroseprompts's 31 Days of Ficmas, for the ‘ring’ prompt, and for legendslikestardust's holiday/winter prompt.

As the last party-goer left, Rose closed the door and latched it, glad to be finally alone with James, but hating that the night went by so fast. In just twelve hours, she would be dropping him off at the airport for his year-long research trip to Japan, and she wasn’t ready for that.

She’d had four months to get used to the idea. After her initial shock, she thought she’d finally accepted that her best friend of five years and boyfriend of one year would be living overseas. Obviously she’d been wrong. For the last two weeks, as he made his final preparations, she’d had to force all of her smiles and enthusiasm to be a good and supportive girlfriend to him. This would be such a great opportunity for him. She should be nothing but happy for him.

But now reality was crashing down around her.

James was leaving in the morning. She wouldn’t have to remember to pick up coffee grounds and bananas when she shopped for groceries. She wouldn’t have to chastise him for not cleaning the sink thoroughly after he shaved. She wouldn’t have anyone to share chocolate ice cream with when she was on her monthly. She wouldn’t be waking up beside him anymore.

The thought that she couldn’t have a hug and a kiss whenever she wanted did her in. Going twelve months without his arms around her and his lips against hers lodged an ache deep in her chest that made it hard to breathe.

She was going to miss him so much.

Rose sniffled and turned away from him, not wanting him to see how upset she was getting, as she gathered up a few bottles and cans that were left lying in their living room from the Christmas/going-away party they’d hosted. But she should’ve known he could tell she wasn’t all right. He could read her better than anyone in the world, sometimes even better than herself.

His hand rested on her shoulder and rubbed it soothingly up and down her arm. That did her in. With a whimper, she spun and launched herself into his arms and clung tightly to him, finally letting out the tears that had been threatening since he first told her about his research trip four months ago.

“Shhh,” he whispered, holding her tightly against him. “Oh, Rose.”

“I’m sorry,” she choked, wrapping her fingers tightly into his jumper.

“Don’t be,” he murmured, and the way his voice trembled let her know he was fighting back tears too. That knowledge ripped another sob from her throat. “And to think, I’ve been worried you were glad to be rid of me. You’ve been so happy and supportive these last few months.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she said, smacking him lightly across the back. “My boyfriend and best friend is leaving for an entire year and moving half way ‘round the world. Of course I’m upset.”

“Well, not quite half way…”

“Shut up,” she said, burying her nose into his neck.

He nodded and instead held her closer. Rose wished this moment would last forever, and that she could wake up tomorrow and she and James could spend a lazy morning in bed and not get up until noon.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” she whispered, sniffing against her clogged nose. “So much, James.”

“I’m going to miss you, too, Rose,” he said, pressing his lips to the side of her head. “Hang on. I have something for you. An early Christmas gift.”

Rose sniffled and let James disentangle them from their embrace. As he walked down the hall and to their bedroom, she grabbed a tissue and blotted at her eyes and nose, and finished gathering the trash.

James met her in the kitchen. She finally got a good look at him, and saw that his eyes were rimmed red and slightly puffy. But he also looked nervous. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny little box that made Rose’s lungs hitch.

“I’m not proposing,” he said quickly. Before any disappointment could set in, he continued, “Not yet, at least. But I am promising myself to you.” He stepped closer to her and opened up the jewelry box. Nestled inside the dark velvet was a beautiful rose gold Claddagh ring, with a heart-shaped diamond set between the two hands of the ring.

“You will always have my heart,” he murmured softly, handing her the open box. “No matter how far apart we are, or for how long, I will always be yours, Rose Tyler. This is my promise to you that nothing will ever change that. And when I come home next Christmas, if you feel the same, I will formally ask you to be mine, and I'll ask for your forever.”

New tears streamed down Rose’s cheeks as she took the ring out of its casing. She slipped it onto the fourth finger of her right hand, with the heart point inwards, then she dropped the box and wrapped James into another hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. “It’s beautiful. I don’t have anything to give you, but please know that I will always be yours, too, no matter what.”

He hummed happily and said, “I know.”

They stayed in their embrace for a few more moments, before Rose pulled back to catch his lips in a kiss. He sighed into her mouth and brought one of his hands up to tangle in her hair to deepen the kiss. Rose wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close as their lips and tongues parted and met smoothly, but with growing urgency the longer they kissed.

“We’ve still got about ten hours ‘til we have to leave for the airport,” he murmured between kisses as his hands dropped to the back pockets of her jeans. “Lots can be done in ten hours.”

“Stop timing it,” she ordered. “I don’t want to think about that right now. I just want to think about you, and about us.”

“Fair enough,” he said. He pressed a hard kiss to her mouth and scraped his teeth across her bottom lip, pulling a shudder from deep inside her. “Shall we move this to our bed, love?”

“Probably,” she answered, moaning as he nipped his way down her jaw.

They eventually decided on the couch, instead, as their kisses grew heated and more passionate that their bedroom seemed too far away, and they couldn’t wait. They celebrated each other and their love, and they gave and received comfort in each other as they twined themselves as intimately as possible and enjoyed their last few hours of togetherness.


End file.
